Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
  
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
Germany
  
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From diatom + -ite1
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated
  
Clastic or Non-Clastic
  
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
  
Grey, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Non-Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Banded
  
Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
  
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
  
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Ca, NaCl, CaO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
1
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Dull
  
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
1.5
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
  
2.3-2.4
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.49-2.51 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.90 kJ/Kg K
  
12
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Japan, Turkey
  
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
  
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand
  
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
  
All about Blueschist and Diatomite Properties
Know all about Blueschist and Diatomite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Diatomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Diatomite is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Diatomite appears Soft. The luster of Blueschist and Diatomite is dull. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Diatomite are alumina refineries, animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, drawing on blackboards, fire resistant, gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, in aquifers, soil conditioner, to ignite fire, used as a filter medium, used as an insecticide, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.